Have you ever wondered what gift God gave you or why He gave it to you? The gift of time. The gift of life. The gift of knowledge. The gift of feeling. The gift of suffering. The gift of being different. A musical gift. An athletic gift. A creative gift. The gift of leadership. The gift of love and compassion. The gift of planning and organizing. The gift of children. The gift of prayer. The gift of giving.
Have you ever questioned, “God, why did you gift and wire me the way you did?” “Why has life been so difficult, so full of pain and problems?” Then you discover your gift was born and forged through adversity. Or maybe your gift came so naturally that there was no denying it. Or maybe you’re still trying to find your gift and how to use it. Or maybe you don’t yet believe you have value or any gifts.
God has a person-specific way of showing us a need and inviting us to discover and use our gift to meet a need. As we grow older, God gives us a passion, a heartfelt desire, a love for something or someone, and we have to do something about it. Then he shows us the gift He’s given us, and He invites us to join Him and others and use our gift to get involved and make a difference in our world.
As Jesus’ disciples were trying to understand gifting, He used a hungry crowd, a boy with five barley loaves and two fish to teach lessons about gifting and giving. Every day and everything we have are gifts given by God. Gifts are to be shared with those in need around us. Many times, we try to hide, hoard, or reject the gifts God has given us. We try to send away the people who desperately need our gifts to be given. We cannot see the context God, the great engineer, has set up for us to exercise and to develop our gifts. Why? Because we lack faith, we don’t see, we lack confidence, we’ve been hurt, or because it doesn’t feel good.
If everything we have been given is a gift to be used, developed, and shared with others, what gifts has God given you? It’s not arrogant to acknowledge and utilize your gift. You’ve been designed by our creative, gift-giving God to make a divine impact using your gifts to meet needs and to give Him glory. The props sitting around your house, in your closet, in your attic, or in your garage are just waiting for God to use you to distribute them to meet someone’s need.
If you’re too busy to feel the need, to develop your gifts, or too blitzed to do anything to develop your gift, then you’re too busy. Busyness isn’t next to godliness. Slow down and cultivate your gifts. Develop relationships with people who need your gift. Ask for help from people to help you to discover and to develop your gifts. And by all means, please give yourself the opportunity to learn by failing as you are discovering and developing your gifts.
God’s family only works well when each of us are working together using each of our God-given gifts. I don’t develop, finish, or use any of my gifts well on my own. God is surrounding me with people who have different gifts I need in order to develop and use my gifts. What I think I can’t do, or I have to do on my own, God can accomplish in a moment. Amazing as it may sound, God loves using our simple gifts to display His love, grace, and abundance to people who haven’t yet discovered God or their gift.
What gifts are you using to make a difference in your world?
Who can help me to discover and to develop my underdeveloped gift?
What is God calling me to do with my gifts?
What need begs me to offer my gifts?